Looks like winter has finally slid in for sure. Getting close to the dead time of the year for sure.

12-31-11
The weather was not in our favor for my much anticipated last day partridge hunt with Bay. Drenching AM rain postponed our trip to Maine. We stayed in NH and hunted a piece of woods we flushed birds while hunting deer.

The closest we got to a partridge was a deer. You know, you are after one you see the other. I was very happy with Bay. Although she never saw the deer it ran in the direction of our hunt. Her body language changed abruptly when she wind scented the whitetail. While she was very interested in pursuit, all it took was a few stern no commands and our bird hunt continued.

I'd like to say thanks to the other bird hunter with a dog we saw enter the field at the beginning of our hunt. I knew I could hear a bell. Over the rise I caught sight of orange both on the dog and hunter. My compass was already pointed to the best part of the cover. I never saw or heard him the rest of the afternoon.

Bird hunting is only another excuse for me to take a walk in the woods. A gun is never required to enjoy the sights and sounds of mother nature. Stonewalls and old foundations intrigue me. We stumbled upon this bit of history. Beside this old foundation was an open dug well. It was at least 15' deep.



There were no critters at the bottom. One strange thing about this foundation was this hole.



Maybe a root cellar? Maybe a crawl space for the Underground Railroad? A mystery I'll live with until our next journey to this part of our ancestry.

It was with a bit of sadness when Bay kenneled at the truck that our 2011 upland season was over. But gladness soon replaced that emotion.
I am glad for my faith in God, my health, a loving and understanding wife of 26 years and most of all at that moment........glad I got to spend another day in the wilds hunting behind my best friend, The Yellow Dog.

This ends Great Bay Babe's 2011 hunting log. Thank you for coming along.

Another great hunting year!! Thanks for keeping us up to date yours and Bays adventures!

Watch where you step.

Owning a rather large breed you may be thinking this post is about lab land mines. But no. These words are about a recent humorous evening walk with Bay.

Bay is a joy to walk. She knows the routine. She stays at heel like the dog shows require. Her head held high and looking forward. Distractions on our walk will turn her head but her gait remains constant.

The other night on our walk by an apartment building Bay was distracted by people in the parking lot. I noticed her head turned left watching the action as she stayed at pace. I thought if she hunts like this a head on collision with a tree is just a matter of time. She was about to learn a lesson.

I swung left and put my right leg in front of her. BAM........she walked right into me. I could see the stunned look on her face. I said "lookout" and gently tugged the lead so her head was up and straight forward. We continued our walk. I noticed at the next distraction she would turn to look but not for long. I said lookout and her head would turn briefly to watch her way.

I love my lab.

Watch where you step.

If you are a regular reader to Great Bay Babe's adventures you should recognize these places.

The yellow dog and I had a great walk Saturday at the LR Conservation Area. The bridge may soon be tested.

01-28-12



Canoe in winter hibernation.



Beaver Pond at the headwaters.



D. Brook from the bridge looking towards Rte XXXA. Someday the brook will reclaim its original path.



Bay's training pool below the rapids at the old mill site at the bridge.

02-05-12
Today's walk with the yellow dog brought me backwards and forwards in time. Back the time machine went to deer season 2011. Our travels first led us to where my BIL shot his last day, last hour doe. The hunt began when Mark reassured me he instructed BIL to stand at the second brook.

It happens to just about everyone who stands at this crossing for the first time, myself included. They hear brook and they stop. Somehow "second" brook just doesn't sink through. When I reached BIL at the crossing he was at the first brook. We hurried to the second brook just as Mark walked through the honey hole. His doe did not cross in the traditional spot. She crossed a beaver pond and was heading to where I had just taken him off stand. I can still see BIL leaning up against that tree looking through his scope. I leaned up against that same tree today to see what he saw.

It brought me backward to this.



The deer trails led us in a familiar direction. Walking along their tracks brought us to Mark's stand.
He found this at an abandoned teen party site in the woods. He borrowed it for his sit.



I sent him a picture of the chair. We texted in the memory.



We left deer season behind us as we cut the trail that would bring us home. We were soon transferred forward in time as we crested a small knoll by the edge of the road.

I was reminded it will be turkey season before you know it.

02-11-12
Like a drug addict I went into shakes this morning after finding Upland Journal off line. My most constant dealer of upland bird hunting adventures could not be reached and I needed a fix. Surfing other known dealer locations only found exuberant prices for cut drugs. Hunt tests and field trials don't get me high and I was in need of a mainline.

My mind started cruising street corner covers where needles were in abundance. I settled on Family Grounds to relieve my addiction.

Bay and I set off looking for an intersection with hopefully a pair a sneakers hanging from a branch. From a distance like a neon light we both thought we'd found a stash. After a brief inspection our dime bag showed no words of origin. I felt bad for this naked balloon. We took it out of the woods fearing a wildlife overdose.



Technology is sweet. My new phone came with a pedometer. After our three mile hike through a mostly snow-less landscape we arrived back to our starting point on an almost goose bump high.

I'm a Ford kinda guy. In 1989 I purchased the truck on the left, my first 4X4 F150. It was an upgrade from a much loved but trapper abused brown 4X4 Ranger. The '89 Ford is still alive and kicking and being used as a Family Grounds wood hauler. In 2001 a game warden green F150 was purchased only because Ford discontinued brown. With the 2001 truck body starting to show signs of ten New England winters and while there was still some equity left Ford once again put brown trucks back on the market. It was time for a 2011.

Seeing both these vehicles together brought me again backwards and forward in time.



02-12-12
I'm glad my dealer is back on-line. The weatherman says it is 17 degrees outside with a 3 degree wind chill. I'll opt for the heated homestead buzz today.

02-18-12
Bay and I started out this weekend ice fishing with a few buddies on a secluded Maine pond. The ice was anywhere from eight to ten inches thick. Bay is an excellent ice fisherdog. When a flag would go up she would be the first in line to the trap.

She likes to get close to the action.



The biggest fish of the day was this 19" bronze-back. We guesstimated it to be four plus pounds before Jim released it.



I left the pan-fish bonanza about 12:30 while those guys were filling the ice with white and yellow perch in about thirty feet of water. I got a text later that just said..."fish fry".

From the lake we traveled to camp. It was time to open up for the season. One noticeable thing we found when we arrived was no snow on the roof. This is a mild winter indeed.

02-19-12
At 0545 and 15 degrees I stepped out of camp and gave a couple owl hoots to the mountain. In about ten minutes over the sound of coffee brewing two barred owls started talking from the camp yard. That is the official opening day song of Maine Turkey Season 2012. I met my BIL at the country store for a hearty breakfast at 0700. We were fueling up for some firewood bucking and tree trimming. Back at camp enjoying another cup of java I happened to look out the window and two mature gobblers walked right through the camp yard. Both were shooters. I hope to view them again down the barrel of my Encore during the season. The first one in line had a huge chest and I would speculate 20 + pounds. Those kinds of sightings don't happen often. Time to play the lottery.

The saying "work smarter not harder" is getting more of my attention these days. I love to hunt Maine mountain gobblers but I am not getting any younger and those mountains seem to be getting steeper. With the woods around camp being four wheeler friendly I broke down for a smarter tool.

And Bay found a new ride.



Welcome to Sampson's Bay 2012.

02-25-12
Our plan is to fish the Square Pond Ice Fishing Derby in Shapleigh, ME Sunday morning. Having never been to the lake and because of its close proximity to camp the Ford was loaded and Bay and I headed north. We stopped at Hurricane's house on the way by and had a very nice visit. Being local to the pond he made suggestions that might make our day go well tomorrow.

We got to camp at 3PM. With the soft slushy snow still on the ground from the storm the night before Bay and I headed up the mountain. As soon as we left the pasture and entered the woods I could see where 3 tom turkeys had crossed the trail. As we continued our climb the next critter track we ran into was a snowshoe hare. On a whim we left the trail and started bushwhacking back down the mountain. We surprised a budding partridge who swiftly departed in a whirl of wings. We also found where more than a few snowshoe hare call home.

The wind was howling all day. It woke me up early Sunday morning. I heard the noise like a freight train coming around the side of the mountain. Closer and closer it came until the gust of wind shook the camp. Then I could hear it continuing to make its way east. It was pretty cool to witness.

02-26-12
It was O'Dark Hundred and the wind wouldn't quit. We were on the ice at daybreak. Setting up the gear in 19 degree weather with a 30mph wind was far from my idea of fun. Jim brought a hunting pop up blind which we secured to the ice. Have you ever seen movies of a wind storm on Mount Everest when all the hikers were stuck in tents that flapped and slapped. Now I know how they felt.

The action was far from fast and furious. James caught a small white perch and a pickerel. Tim had a flag that produced a very nice smallmouth.



My traps were never touched. Note the truck that drove out on the ice. I took this picture from within our shelter.



By 0930 all the enjoyment was gone for me. I really enjoyed the company but having to yell to speak over the noise and having lost feeling in my fingers, it was time to go.

With most of the day left Bay and I headed back to camp. Being on the east side of the mountain in a westerly blow made for a great sunshine filled afternoon. Just before we left I took Bay for a walk around the yard. Not 30 feet from camp we saw this.



A single gobbler had walked through the camp yard. I decided right then and there that winter was over and we'd be concentrating on spring. It won't be long until black fly season.

GOLD!
It was a beautiful afternoon to take the yellow dog for a walk in Family Grounds. Instead of following the trails to the beaver pond we set out cross country in hopes of stumbling into a shed antler or two.

As we paralleled the brook I came across these two big boulders. It was easy to see the one on the right had been cut by man.



Man made structures surrounded by 100 year old + mature white pine trees is one of the reasons I long for woods walks. It took a few moments but after scanning the surrounding landscape the soft tissue behind my eyes led me to believe this was part an old dam. Viewing the landscape it was easy to see the raised earth on each side of the boulders. While gold is not in great supply in NH it was nice to think that maybe, just maybe some might be found here. Wouldn't it be nice if the "IF" factor turned out to be the "WOW" factor. It is healthy to dream.

No shed antlers were discovered in our journey to the beaver pond and the canoe. We did find signs that our duck hunting honey hole had been visited since our last trip in. Next to the canoe was this newly constructed fire pit. Kudos to the builders for not leaving any non native debris ie. trash. Our out of the way hide is secret no longer.



If you ever stumble across this location please feel free to light one up or take the canoe for a ride. Please just leave the place as you found it.

03-23-12
Took a walk with Bay tonight. If this barn could only talk.



I never saw this group of turkeys until they moved. There were still 20 together.

Had to lead Bay. Saw two adult gobblers. Cell phone pic.



03-24-12
My pedometer said 3.4 miles in the turkey woods this morning. The forest was alive with bird talk. Gobblers, ducks, geese, songbirds, woodcock, partridge and especially woodpeckers. Had an up close and personal meeting with a pileated woodpecker. Man, can Woody grow big.

This old hay barn and trench silo are now part of the woods. When I was young this was a favorite party spot. The roof was on then. No sign of the tradition continuing.



When I was a lad Black Angus bulls roamed this land.



A new season is upon us. I look forward to the adventures.

The only way to heaven is through faith. When we look in the woods out back and see sights like this I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not at the pearly gates.

The Lord knows I am a turkey hunter. He works in mysterious ways. Photos credit rcobra



Thanks for the pictures Doug!

At camp my neighbor’s pain staking work reclaiming his pasture and the logging he has done seems to be the right mix for raising turkeys. My recap will be a story about how “farming” the woods can be very beneficial to raising wild turkeys.

They gobbled until 11AM Sunday when the wind came up and made it hard to hear. Called two right down to camp about 6:30 but they wouldn't commit and step in the pasture.

This is by far the best I've ever heard camp turkeys. Saturday I was in the beeches at 0530, about three quarters way up the mountain. Heard six gobbling and two partridge drumming. Sunday from the camp yard no less than 13 toms and jakes could be heard.

Black flies are swarming but not biting much. I got the most bites Sunday. No skito’s. Saw two deer in the camp yard twice and moose tracks on the mountain.

Sampson’s Bay is alive with the sounds of spring.

Bay and I were on Camp Mountain at 0530 yesterday morning. There were at least four or five wild turkey toms gobbling from the high altitude beech nut grove. That was considerably less than the 13 turkeys I could heard gobbling on the mountain last Sunday as I stood in the camp yard at daybreak.

Found some bobcat scat on the mountain trail on our descent. While I suspect they have lived here for some time this was the first concrete evidence I have found. The fox and coyote also seem to be doing well on the mountain by the amount of presents they are also leaving in the tote road.

My brother in law met us at camp about 0700. Our plan was to 360 degree the summit of Camp Mountain you see behind Bay in my profile picture. We are looking for places to hunt those mountain gobblers after the season opens next week. Some pictures I took on our hike were...

Our view from the summit,



Fresh moose sign where they are eating the bark of the sweet tasting maple trees,



Granite slabs left by an old mining operation at least 16 feet long and a long way from any access road



And my favorite picture of the day was Bay testing the color phases of Labrador Retrievers. When I called to her after taking her mud bath....she stuck her tongue out at me. Good thing the previous settlers on the mountain dug out a spring big enough for Bay to swim in.



We love Camp. Thanks Val!

July 21/22-2012
When the yellow dog and I arrived at the Bay our neighbor was setting out supplies to construct an electric fence for their horses. I watched them build the field this spring. I volunteered to help. It would be a first for me. In no time the new pasture had a fence.



The southerly view from camp became very peaceful.



Sampson's Bay has come a long way. The brushy woods that once hid the history of the homestead have been reclaimed and is paying benefits to the local wildlife. A young bear has been seen three times recently. Once it was brave enough climb on our neighbors deck and help itself to a bag of apples. I got a detailed review on my visit there today. A doe and a fawn are frequently being seen in all the green corners. There is a fox den in the stone wall and at 0450 this morning I heard a turkey gobble.

Bay loves to ride on the four wheeler. I bought a saddlebag for the back rack and it has a seat. One leap from the ground and Bay was ready to go. We took two trips up the deer fly infested mountain. I've got a new riding buddy.